João Almeida will no longer participate in the 2026 edition of Paris–Nice, a race that takes place between March 8 and 15, after failing to fully recover from a physical problem that arose after the Volta ao Algarve. The absence of the Portuguese cyclist from UAE Team Emirates-XRG was confirmed by the rider’s managerJoão Correia.
According to the agent, Almeida began to feel ill a few days after finishing the Volta ao Algarve, a competition in which he finished third in the general classification. “João felt sick, with a lack of energy, two or three days after the end of the Volta ao Algarve”, explained João Correia.
The physical problem has affected the runner’s preparation in recent weeks, preventing him from training normally.. Faced with this scenario, the team decided to remove the Portuguese from the French race. “He wasn’t able to do normal training in the last two weeks and, as he wasn’t 100%, the team decided on Thursday not to take him to Paris–Nice”, added the businessman.
The race was part of the 27-year-old cyclist’s preparation plan for the Tour of Italy, one of the main objectives of the season. Instead of competing in France, Almeida will continue to recover and is expected to return to competition at the Tour of Catalunya, which starts on March 23.
Without the Portuguese, UAE Team Emirates-XRG should bet on American Brandon McNulty as one of the team’s leaders. The lineup will also feature Pavel Sivakov, Marc Soler, Nils Politt, Rune Herregodts, Ivo Oliveira and Igor Arrieta.
João Almeida was one of the names expected at the start of the race known as “Corrida para o Sol”. In the 2025 edition, the Portuguese cyclist won the fourth stage, ending in La Loge des Gardes, and finished the race in sixth place in the general classification.
Considered the main Portuguese voltist today, Almeida started the 2026 season with a second place in the Volta à Comunidade Valencianabehind Remco Evenepoel, before finishing third in the Volta ao Algarve. The UAE Team Emirates runner’s biggest goal continues to be the Tour of Italya race in which he placed third in 2023 and fourth in 2020, the year in which he wore the pink jersey for 15 days.
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